


That Kind of Night

by the-canary (siruru)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Awkward Crush, Denial of Feelings, Drinking, Drunk Kissing, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Light Angst, Mutual Pining, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 09:42:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17444477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siruru/pseuds/the-canary
Summary: Tony’s little get togethers are both memorable and annoying, but at least you got something new out of it.





	That Kind of Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is for @stanclub‘s writing challenge. this isn’t the best, but i was hoping to try something new and i hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Prompt: i know you hate me but my ex just showed up to this party so we’re now dating, please say yes?
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated.

7:25pm 

**Nat:** Are you coming tonight or not? You-know-who is going to be there and newly single.

**READ.**

* * *

James Buchanan Barnes is never one to miss a Tony Stark get-together, never more so when he has nothing to do on a Saturday night. Though, there is more on his mind now than there had been the last  night he had seen most of his friends, as blue eyes keep glancing towards the bar’s entrance. 

> _ “Are you sure she ain’t going to be there?” Bucky had asked his best friend two days beforehand, nerves and stress from work getting to him in the worst way possible.  _
> 
> _ “I honestly can’t say that,” Steve admits before going back to cooing a certain fussy baby girl, “You know how Dot can be best of all.”  _

Dolores and James had been together since their senior year and had moved in together some time after graduation. Bucky had thought the world of Dot, but as the years went by and he got more tied up with work at Stark Industries and her own personal career took off it became harder to see each other, much less interact. However, once Dot had her hands on something she refused to let go of it and as much as Bucky wanted to break up through the years -- he had only done it recently and in the dead of night, while Dot had been away at a conference.

After changing his phone number and moving out of Manhattan, James was still finding it hard to leave Dot’s shadow and though he might be having a good time with his old friends. He knew for now that she could be here any minute if she wanted to be.

However, as the bell jingles signaling a new guest, James finds himself with a completely different problem.

* * *

 

“Ahh, I thought you weren’t going to make it!” Nat declares with a broad smile, clearly she has already been drinking, as she places her arm to loop around yours. 

“Well, you sort of threatened me,” you frown as her smile turns pointed at the message she had sent you not an hour beforehand, as you were knee-deep in work for your next lecture. Yet, Nat was vicious when she wanted something from you, had been since you meet back in that Russian language class you didn’t like to remember, though she always had good reasoning behind it -- maybe, that’s why she made such a goddamn good lawyer. 

“I mean when was the last time you came to one of these,” Nat questions though you both know the answer, but you would rather not think about it either, “Take a break, have a drink!” 

“All right,” you concede, though you had already done that when you had decided to take the subway from your tiny apartment and into Brooklyn. Nat shouts as she drags you back to her table and the familiar faces of the old gang -- Tony (of course), Sam, Steve, Wanda, Sharon, and others you try a little harder to remember. 

“Hey,” a familiar but slightly huskier voice rings out, as you turn to see a familiar man holding the next round of beers and you swear you stop breathing. Blue eyes watch you for a moment, as you simply nod and turn back to talking to Sharon and Steve about the newest addition to their family.

James lets out a sigh before going back to his own side of the table.

* * *

 

Bucky sighs as he watches you laugh at something Tony said from the other table, since their group had gotten to big as Bruce, Rhodey and Carol soon walked in as well, before taking another sip of his beer. And though he swore that he had seen you the last time that you had been to one of these --maybe, two years ago?-- he swore that there was something completely different about you as well. 

“Is this going to be Economics all over again?” Sam can’t help but question in agitation, as he watches James keep giving a certain someone those goggly eyes. Steve tries his hardest not spit out his drink right then and there. 

“What do you mean?” Bucky asks back in exasperation, as he sees you making some crazy hand motions before laughing, as Bruce adds in -- apparently, you two work in the same small college together. 

“I mean you’re doing that thing that you keep looking at her with those lost puppy dog eyes,” Sam answers back, “Just like when Nat introduced you, just like when we had those classes together. Hell, even when Dot was around. You’ve had it bad for years, idiot.” 

Bucky looks at his best friend for some backup, as Steve simply shrugs as if it was an open secret all along. There is just one problem to all of that though. 

“Yeah, so what if I do,” Bucky remarks, running a hand through his hair in frustration, “It’s not like she likes me. She can barely look or talk to me.” 

Bucky takes the last gulp of his drink in slight anger and annoyance before going to go get another one -- the unrequited feelings when it came to you and the looming shadow of Dot were putting him over the edge more than usual, when he thought that he could have a nice evening with his friends. 

Without another word, he gets up to order another drink.

* * *

You down your third drink and while you aren’t normally such a lightweight, something about having a good time with your close friends after such a long while without seeing some of them puts you in an extremely good mood. It wasn’t like you were avoiding them, but between work and various other things -- life just went about that way. Though, it did help that your crush since who knows when was now single, and while you didn’t hate Dot, she did use certain methods that made you feel shitty about yourself.

> _ Jamie and I -- _
> 
> _ I just meet the most fabulous-- _
> 
> _ I am sure that Jamie is going to propose any day now.  _

You chug your fourth drink down in those bitter afterthoughts, though you were somewhat relieved that Dot’s prediction hadn’t come true in the end. From what you understood, James had left Dot a couple of months back, though she wasn’t above harassing him at work or trying to find out where he lived now, as Nat told you through expletives. Though there wasn’t much you could do, it had been years and you still couldn’t talk to the man without feeling like you were making a fool out of yourself. 

However, Nat knew you well enough to know how to combat that -- liquid courage. 

“Maybe, you should go talk to him now,” Nat buts in, as the rest of the table watches in silence, “He’s all alone.” 

You just give out a hum, as Wanda pushes you slightly ahead of everyone else and into the direction of where a certain Bucky Barnes is sitting alone and drinking his second or third beer. You let out a huff of air and take two confident steps, but between the space of you reaching out to him and that bar a shadowy figure makes its way to him and you feel your heart drop.

“Jamie!” Dot declares, as you watch James get cornered like a scared animal in one of those animal shows you tend to watch from time to time.

* * *

Dark hair, red painted lips, and white teeth declare his name as Dot corners him at the bar. She rubs herself between his arm and lets out a purr that sends a shiver of fright down his spine. Bucky isn’t a weak man, but there are things that Dot has done that remind him of just how cruel she can be when she doesn’t get her way. Blue eyes glance at his group of friends, as she keep rambling on about something and while he can see Steve is ready to walk their way -- someone else meets his pleading blue eyes. 

“Bucky,” James has to stop himself from thinking how nice his nickname sounds on the tip of your tongue, as you pull him back from Dot and the bar and into your side. He’ll have to ask if you were going to the gym with Thor later, “You’re taking too long, babe.” 

Bucky swears he dies right then and there as Dot looks at him in horror, as you with your frenzied courage and annoyance declare that she should leave  _ your boyfriend _ alone. Brown eyes widen, as James swears that he hears Nat and Wanda whooping in the background. He decides to stay quiet, so as to not spoil your ruse.

“Prove it,” Dot declares with a smug look on her face, as if you couldn’t and Bucky wasn’t sure exactly how without moving even more into your personal space.  However, you decide with all your fake courage to do the proving for him.

Everything moves in a much slower pace, as you grab his cheek and move him to look in your direction. There isn’t any hesitation on your part, but what confuses him even more is the little whisper you let out before crashing your lips into his. 

> _ Please don’t hate me. _

And as your plush lips meet Bucky’s, he finds himself unable to move much less think, though he is left with a lot more questions than answers. However, as the music and Dot’s expletives are pushed away thanks to Tony and Steve, he feels you go limp in his arms and your soft lips part from his, as light snores soon replace the breathless sigh you had let out only a few minutes ---seconds?-- before.   

Once Dot is gone and Nat comes towards the two of you, she can’t help but laugh at the sight of you asleep in Bucky’s arms.

* * *

After learning what you had done the night before after Nat had taken you home, you don’t reach out to anyone for the next two days. You ignore Nat’s teasing and Steve’s subtle thanks and you thank  everything you can that James doesn’t have your phone number. However, he did know that Bruce worked with you---

And maybe, that’s why you are staring the man sitting on your office couch as you come back from your morning classes. As blue eyes meet yours, you try your hardest not to run out of your own office, as he gets  up and pleads with you to wait as you look at anything except him.

“I just wanted to thank you,” he starts off softly, “For everything you did for me the other night with Dot. I know I shouldn’t have---”

“You didn’t put me in any situation that wasn’t my only stupid, drunkass’ fault, Bucky,” you cut him off, unsure of how such a huge, beefcake of a man could be so self-deprecating at the same time. It was obvious that he had lost a lot of himself since you had meet him back in college and in his time with Dot.  

“I know you don’t like me,” he states with a nervous laugh as your eyes widen in confusion for just a second, completely unaware that this is what Bucky Barnes thought of you. And in that moment, you decide to do what Nat had been pushing for you to do for years.  

“James,” you state, as blue eyes meet yours completely caught in whatever you might say next. It was only now that you were truly seeing it, ‘There’s a difference between hating someone and not being able to talk straight in front of your crush.”

“I--” this catches Bucky off-guard as you bite the inside of your cheek at his next question, “How long?” 

“Awhile,” you answer vaguely, before looking away in embarrassment and completely unaware of the goofy grin on his face.

“So, if this crush asked you out for lunch?” Bucky starts off, as you turn to look back at him with widening eyes. 

“In a heartbeat,” you declare with your own nervous laugh, “Would now be alright? I don’t have anymore classes for the day.”   

“Now is good, very good,” is all Bucky manages to say, as you get your things and tell him about this quaint little cafe that isn’t too far from campus. 

And as he reaches out of your hand in the sunlit hallway, you can’t help but smile and be thankful for the type of night you had had -- you were also going to have to make sure to thank Tony and Nat as well.    
  


 


End file.
